Man in the Mirror Alone
City Man, dubbed by King of Pop as
'official substitute,' talks about his muse
originally published in the New Britain
Herald
The late Michael Jackson has probably
inspired as many impersonators as Elvis, and the “World's Best
Michael Jackson impersonator” (so dubbed by Jackson himself) is
Joby Rogers, a 1985 alumnus of New Britain High School who now lives
in Meriden. He's been a professional Jackson impersonator since
before he finished high school, but now that his muse has passed,
what will happen to his career?
“It's been nonstop phone calls, texts
and emails since the day of. Literally around the clock. I got calls
today to go to the Poconos, a call to go to Chile,” Rogers said in
an interview last week in his modest home on a shady, tree-lined
street. Despite the many offers coming in, though, Rogers plans to
keep his schedule empty for awhile. “I have a performance in
California this weekend, a private event in San Francisco. I
scheduled it months ago, before this happened. I want the hype to die
down before I perform again.”
Ironically, Rogers learned about
Jackson's death much later than most of Jackson's fans. “I had
slept in late that day, and didn't know until my son came in and said
'I'm sorry about Michael Jackson, Dad.' It was devastating. I didn't
realize how devastating it wold be, because it happened so soon.”
Rogers is careful to note that, while
he imitates Michael Jackson, he has never parodied him. “I've
always been pro-Michael. I got offered to be in 'Scary Movie,' but
turned that down because they wouldn't tell me what the part would
be.” His instincts were right; the role called for a rather
insulting Jackson caricature. “I never take roles like 'pedophile.'
… I don't think he was guilty. I think, always being in the
spotlight since he was 5 years old, I don't think he knew how average
Americans live life. So when he said 'I had boys in my bedroom,'
well, he had a two-story bedroom at Neverland, not a little corner
room with a twin bed in the corner. I don't think he understood
–'What, doesn't everybody have a two-story bedroom?'”
Rogers' belief in Jackson's innocence
is based on more than faith. “If you had the FBI investigating you,
spending $25 million, looking all over your house, all over your
computer, if you did something, they'd find it.”
Rogers started performing as Jackson in
1984. “The first time I performed was at E.C. Goodwin High junior
prom. My first paid performance was at Molly Malone's [a former strip
club], if you can believe that.” (He gave a solo performance, and
did not share the stage with the young ladies who normally worked
there.)
While still in high school, he already
had a steady job impersonating Jackson. “I worked for a company
called the Ballonery, which did kid's parties. Now you might have
Barney and such, then he hired me to perform as Michael Jackson.”
So Rogers would go to a party, perform a song or two, and leave. “I
got $35 a pop, sometimes doing three shows a day. Good money for a
high school kid.”
After graduating high school, Rogers
plunged into full-time Jackson impersonation. “In New York I did an
off-Broadway show called 'Cafe Society,' all drag queens and
celebrity impersonators. That's where I learned to do makeup
techniques. It taught me a lot about that.” Even now, Rogers
supplements his Jackson income by working as a makeup artist, and
teaching makeup techniques.
“My transition from this” – he
motioned to himself, an ordinary-looking man in blue jeans and a
summer shirt – “to being fully done as Michael takes about an
hour and a half. When people ask me to do Michael Jackson out of
character [and costume], it feels weird.”
Rogers has been married for 10 years.
“I met my wife at a show in Wallingford … she likes Michael's
music, but she's more of a Keith Urban kind of girl.”
Just inside the front door of Rogers'
house is a playroom for his two kids, Jaden, age 8, and Aubree, 4.
It's a typical children's playroom, all bright primary colors, except
for the two walls dedicated to Jackson and Jackson-impersonator
memorabilia: Rogers on Conan O'Brien, Rogers posing with other
celebrities, and the centerpiece of the wall display: a framed
platinum album, which Jackson gave to Rogers to commemorate the one
millionth sale of “Thriller.” There is also a framed affidavit,
dated Jan. 1, 2003 and signed by Jackson himself, designating Rogers
the best impersonator: “I [Michael Jackson] have been fully
furnished … with pictures, video, sound samples, height [and]
weight specifications of applicants. After viewing one hundred and
sixteen (116) different possible substitutes, it is the decision I
[Michael Jackson] have made to have Mr. Joby Rogers … be my
official substitute.”
“Michael Jackson has had a great
impact on my life. Because of him I've had the chance to travel the
world, meet people I never would have met. Coming out of Mount
Pleasant, the projects of New Britain, and it's all because of him …
Before I had my children, I'd be on the road six or nine months out
of the year, but after Jaden was born I went away for a week and I
was miserable.”
Rogers believes that ultimately,
Jackson will be remembered for his music rather than the
tabloid-fodder events of the past two decades. “They had this show
about tribes that had never even seen a lightbulb, and asked them
what they knew about America. They all said 'Michael Jackson,' even
if they didn't know who he was.”
Like most, if not all, Jackson fans,
Rogers never expected Jackson's demise to come so soon, though in
retrospect, perhaps it wasn't so surprising.
“A friend told me Michael Jackson was
trying to be Peter Pan, and Peter Pan is not supposed to be 50 years
old.”
